There are few games that have the wit and creativity that can carry a continent-spanning turn-based JRPG, but there are even less that have existed for over 20 years. Earthbound is the perfect Nintendo game for the precipice of entering adulthood. In some ways, it's actually Nintendo's most mature franchise. While the guise of a brightly colored RPG about saving the world exists for most of the game, the true story of Shigesato Itoi's masterpiece is about the waning parental bonds as you grow older, the responsibilities you can maintain or ignore, accepting other ways of life, and getting to know the world outside the bubble you grew up in. Simultaneously cozy and terrifying, Earthbound nails every goofy moment of this coming-of-age story.
On a more gameplay side, Earthbound holds up remarkably well. The gradual death count on a fatal blow is a genius mechanic that makes battles tense and brutal. I never felt like I needed to grind, and most of the game was very clear on its objectives and conversations, never feeling like I was confused of archaic design. The music is catchy and brain melting, the colors and environments pop, and you really get to know the world around you talking to people and seeing the world. It's not perfect; the inventory system is the worst part of the game. It's clunky, items don't stack, and storing items takes too long, but it did encourage me to use items I wouldn't have to burn them for new ones. Fortunately, I played on Wii U with save states, but playing this game without that crutch may result in a frustrating amount of backtracking and long journeys back to bosses.
Overall, Earthbound is a must-play game for JRPG fans, Nintendo fans, contemporary fans of games like Omori, Undertale, and Lisa, and for anyone who thinks they have the heart to defeat the god of evil.
On a more gameplay side, Earthbound holds up remarkably well. The gradual death count on a fatal blow is a genius mechanic that makes battles tense and brutal. I never felt like I needed to grind, and most of the game was very clear on its objectives and conversations, never feeling like I was confused of archaic design. The music is catchy and brain melting, the colors and environments pop, and you really get to know the world around you talking to people and seeing the world. It's not perfect; the inventory system is the worst part of the game. It's clunky, items don't stack, and storing items takes too long, but it did encourage me to use items I wouldn't have to burn them for new ones. Fortunately, I played on Wii U with save states, but playing this game without that crutch may result in a frustrating amount of backtracking and long journeys back to bosses.
Overall, Earthbound is a must-play game for JRPG fans, Nintendo fans, contemporary fans of games like Omori, Undertale, and Lisa, and for anyone who thinks they have the heart to defeat the god of evil.